Repeating attachment for phonographs.



No. 794,786- PATENTED JULY 18, 1905.

B. L. ORABB.

BEPEATING ATTACHMENT FOR PHONOGRAPHS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.17.1905.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

PATENTBD JULY 18, 1905. B. L. ORABB. I RBPEATING ATTACHMENT FOR PHONOGRAPHS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.17. 1905.

NITED STATES Patented July 18, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

REPEATING ATTACHMENT FOR PHONOGRAPHS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 794,786, dated July 18, 1905.

Application filed March 17, 1905- Serial 110,250,501.

To all Il /M1777 it 'll'b/IJ/ concern:

Be it known that I, EARL LEON CRABB, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Repeating Attachments for Phonographs, &c. and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to machines of various styles having the characteristics of phonographs for reproducing sounds; and the invention has reference particularly to attachments that are adapted to be connected to the machines for the purpose of enabling them to automatically repeat what the records thereon may contain.

Objects of the invention are to provide repeating attachments for phonographs, &c., that may be applied to the machines by the users thereof, as well as by the various phonograph dealers, and which attachments may be quickly removed from the machines when not wanted for use.

A further object is to provide repeating attachments adapted to be connected to phonographs without requiring alterations ormachine-work on the phonographs in order to accommodate the attachments; and a still further object is to provide attachments which with slight modifications may be adapted to be constructed as permanent parts of the phonographs.

The invention consists in a phonograph attachment comprising improved apparatus for elevating the reprodueer-arm of the machine from its guide and moving a movable device carried by the arm upon the guide of the arm for holding the arm from the guide, in an improved device for withdrawing the movable device from the guide of the arm and in improved apparatus for returning the reproducer from the terminal end of the ma chine to the starting-point thereof; and the invention consists, further, in the novel parts and in the combinations and arrangements of parts, as hereinafter particularly described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 1s a top plan of a phonograph. having the 1mprovement applied thereto; Fig. 2, a'front elevation of the machine and the 1mprovement connected therewith; Fig. 3, a fragmentary top plan showing a part of the 1m provement in connection with a part of the phonograph; Fig. 4, an end elevat on of the upper parts of the phonograph and the 1mprovement connected therewith; Fig. 5, a transverse sectional view of the upper parts of the phonograph and parts of the unprovement connected therewith on the line A A in Fig. 1; Fig. 6, a view similar to Fig. 5, except that the reproducer and connections are elevated, as when returning in order to repeat the record; Fig. 7, a rear perspective view of one of the several parts of the attachment; Fig. 8, a perspective view of another one of the parts of the attachment; Fig. 9, a perspective view of the main portion. of still another one of the parts of the attachment; and Fig. 10, a fragmentary top plan showing parts of the phonograph and improvements in connection therewith, the reprodueer of the machine being in a returning position.

Similar reference characters in the several figures of the drawings designate corresponding parts or features.

The repeating attachment is illustrated in connection with a popular type of phonegraph, to which the attachment may be most conveniently connected, and the parts of the phonograph to which the improvements relate will be particularly referred to herein, it being understood that other parts of phonegraphs not pointed out are well known and need no description in the present case.

The phonograph shown herein comprises, as constructed and sold, a case a for the motor mechanism, and a lid b, covering the case a and extending beyond the sides and ends thereof. A crank c is provided for winding the motor-spring. On the top of the lid 1) a base cl is secured thereto and supports a cylinder B, on which a record e is placed to be rotated thereby, the base alsosupporting a guide on which is slidingly mounteda reproducer-arm g, carrying an integral head C as a part thereof, in which a reproducer is mounted, the latter being adapted to have a horn connected therewith. The arm 9 is provided with a controller comprising a head h, which is an integral part with the head C and part of the reproducerarm, and having a shoulder "L and lips and k forward of the shoulder and extending below the plane thereof and supporting a pin which may slide for wardly and rear-wardly, the pin as supplied with the machine having a head at the outer end thereof. In order to apply the present improvement, the pin with the head has been discarded and a plain guide-pin D without ahead, comprising apart of the invention, has been substituted therefor and provided with a stop-pin Z between the lips and 7c. Other parts of the phonograph comprise ,a guidebar m, that is attached to the base (1 for guiding the reproducer; a feedscrew n, mounted also on the base d; a nut 29, carried by the base of the arm g and adapted to yieldingly engage the feed-screw, and a set-screw g, attached to the reproducer-head C for locking the reproducer therein.

A part of the invention comprises a base E, having a binding-screw F, (omitted in Fig. 9,) adapted to rest on the top of the lid a at the lefthand end thereof, the base having a lip 1" extending under the edge of the lid and also having a shoe 1 1 to protect the lid against the screw when the base is clamped fast to the lid, as it must be when used, as shown. A pillar G is attached to the base E and is curved so as to extend beyond the plane of the end of the lid, the top of the pillar being provided with a sheave H (not shown in Fig. 9) for guiding a cord 12, that is connected to the set-screw q and supports a weight 13 below the sheave, the weight causing the arm 9 to be drawn toward the left-hand end of the cylinder B when the feed-nut p is disconnected from the feed-screw n. If desired, however, in lieu of the weight and cord a coiled spring may be connected to the pillar G and to the screw (1, as will be obvious.

In order to disconnect the feed-nut p from the feed-screw n for the purpose of returning the reproducer after it shall have traversed the record and also in order to place the inner end of the guide-pin D upon the guide bar m, so that the reproducer cannot drag on the record while returning, a double-acting device is provided for elevating the head h and also for pushing the pin D inward upon the guide-bar m, and it comprises a stand I, that is attached removably to the projecting front edge of the lid a nearly opposite to the smaller end of the cylinder B, the stand having a base 8 on the lid and a lip 25, extending under the edge of the lid, and a suitable securing device, as a binding-screw J and shoe u therefor, or an eccentric K, mounted on a flange 'v of the lip tby means of a pivot w, the

of the base of the stand and also oppositely to the spring L. A guide M is attached, by means of a shank M, to the front of the stand I and extends obliquely beyond the more ele-' vated end of the guide 14, and preferably it is slightly yielding, so as to compensate for inaccurate adjustment of the stand I on the lid b. The proper adjustment-is such that when the pin D'is drawn quite forward its outer end portion may engage the top of the spring L and the under side of the flangeguide y and then ride on the guide 14 and be pushed back by the guide M, so as to engage the top of the guide-bar m while the reproducer is returning to the starting-point.

In order to draw the pin D forward from engagement with the guide-bar m, and thus permit the shoulder i to descend sufficiently to. insure engagement of the nut 29 with the screw n, a guide-base N, provided with a binding-screw 0 (not shown in Fig. 8) and having a lip 15, is secured removably to the left-hand end of the guide-bar m, the base N supporting a guide P, that has a stem 16 Se cured to the base, the guide P extending obliquely across the top of the guide-bar m in the path of'the inner end of thepin D, so as to serve as a wedge-like guide to force the pin forwardly from the guide-bar m while carried by the head h in its returning movement.

A stop-collar Q is applied to the guide f and secured adjustably thereto by a screw 17, the collar being provided with a rubber cushion R to be engaged by the base of the arm g when returned forcibly by the weight 13 to the starting-point. The collar serves as a gage that may be adjusted along the guidef to suit different records the positions of which may vary on the cylinder B. Other suitable forms of gages and cushion-stops may, however, be obviously employed in case there is not sufficient space in some machines for the collar Q on the guidef.

It will be understood that the cord 12 (or a spring) may be connected to any other suitable part than the screw (1 to accomplish the same result herein described, the base E may be modified so as to be attached to the base d, the stand I may be adapted to be attached to the base (1 or to the guide-bar m, and the base N may be modified, if desired, so as to be suitably attached to the base (1. Also the form of the guide P may be variously modified. I

In case .the head it of the reproducer-eontroller does not have the lips j and 7c, supporting the controller guide-pin D, which are abmeans of suitable attachable devices.

In practical use, all parts of the attach ment having been placed in position on the machine, as described, .the machine may be started in the customary manner, the shoulder i being placed upon the guide P or upon theguide-bar m and the contact-piece X in engagement with the record If the shoulder i be upon the guide P, it will drop onto the guide-bar m while the head h progresses toward. the right-hand side of the machine. The record will be completed as usual. Figs. 1 and 2 indicate that the record has been partially traversed by the reproducer. A furtheradvance of the reproducer would cause the outer end portion of the pin D to ride upon the spring L and'also engage the under side of the flange-guide 1 as in Fig. 5, the guide 1 preventing the premature elevation of the pin D by the spring L and causing the spring to be deflected somewhat, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. In Fig. 3 the. pin D is shown as having advanced nearly to the end of the guide 7 and after arriving at the end of the guide the spring L would force the pin D upwardly, and therewith the head h and its supports and connections, which movements would disconnect the'nut p from the screw it, and simultaneously the weight 13 would draw the reproducer and its arm and connections toward the left-hand side of the machine, the pin D riding upon the guide 14 to its end, at which point the guide M would force the pin D inward, as in Fig. 10, so that its inner end would be above the guide-bar m and would descend thereto in its movement with its carrier, and then the return movement of the reproducer would continue with the guide-pin D upon the guidebar m, as in Fig. 6, thus holding the contact-piece X from the record and the nut p clear of the screw a. Further return movements will bring the inner end of the pin D in contact with the guide P and will be forced thereby forwardly until disengaged from the top of the guide-bar m, when the head h will descend until stopped by the shoulder t' upon the guidebar m, the nut 19 at the same time being carried into engagement with the screw 17., the cushion R stopping the return movement without ar. All parts being again in proper positions, the reproducer will again advance and repeat the record, and'the repetitions will occur while the motor furnishes the necessarypower. The guide-pin D may be manipulated by hand when required in case of the machine being used without repeating.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. A repeating attachment including a movable guide-pin, a stand provided with a movable spring-pressed arm for elevating the pin, a guide for carrying the pin, and means for moving the pin.

2. A repeating attachment including a stand provided with. a movable springpressed arm and having a flange guide ex tending beyond the body thereof toward. the arm, and a guide supported by the stand and extending obliquely above the flange-guide beyond an end thereof.

3. A repeating attachment for phonographs including a movable guide-pin carried by a part that is fixed to the reproducerhead of the instrument, movable means in the path ofthe pin serving by means of the pin to elevate the reproducer, a guide gaging the action of the movable means, a device for actuating the movable means, a guide receiving the pin after having been elevated by the movable means, and a guide in the path of the outer end of the elevated pin serving to move the pin longitudinally inward upon the reproducer guide-bar of the instrument.

4. A repeating attachment, for phonegraphs that have each a reproducer guidebar, including a movable guide-pin carried by a part that is fixed to the reproducer-head of the instrument, means for elevating the pin above the plane of the top of theguidebar, means for pushing the pin upon the top of the guide-bar, means for drawing the pin along the top of the guide-bar and returning the reproducer, and a fixed guide for returning the pin to its normal position and thereby enabling the reproducer to engage the record of the instrument.

5. A repeating attachment for phonographs including a portable pillar secured detachably to the lid of the phonograph-case and provided with means for automatically drawing the reproducer of the instrument toward the pillar, a portable stand secured detachably to the lid and provided with means for elevating the reproducer at the end of the record of the instrument, means for supporting the reproducer clear of the record while being drawn toward the pillar, and a portable base secured detachably to the reproducer guide-bar and provided with means cooperating to depress the reproducer to the record at the end of the return movement of the re producer toward the pillar.

6. In a phonograph, the combination with a traveling reproducer-arm, and a fixed reproducer guide-bar normally guiding the reproducer-arm, of a spring-pressed movable arm for elevating the reproducer-arm, a supplemental guide for temporarily guiding the elevated reproducer-arm independently of the guide-bar, means for returning the reproducer-arm, movable means interposed between the guide-bar and the reproducer-arm cooperating to temporarily guide the reproducer-arm, and a guide arranged obliquely to the guide-barcooperating to remove the mov. able means from between the guide-bar and the reproducenarm.

7. In a phonograph, the combination with the head of the reproducer-arm, the guidepin movable in the head, and the reproducer guide-bar, of a supplemental guide situated in a plane above the plane of the guide-bar, means for elevating the guide-pin onto the supplemental guide, and a guide extending obliquely to the reproducer guide-bar for forcing the guidepin from the supplemental guide onto the reproducer guide-bar. 8. In a phonograph, the combination with the head of the reproducer-arm, the guidepin movable in the head, and the reproducer guide-bar normally guiding the head of the reproducer-arm, of means for elevating and moving the guide-pin onto the reproducer guide-bar and lifting the head of the reproducer-arm from the guide-bar, a guide extending obliquely to the reproducer guidebar for moving the guide-pin from the reproducer guide-bar and permitting the head of the reproducer-arm to descend to the reproducer guide-bar, and means for drawing the head of the reproducer-arm toward the obliquely-extending guide.

9. In a phonograph, the combination with the reproducer-arm, the guide-pin movable in the head of the reproducer-arm, and the reproducer guide-bar normally guiding the reproducer-arm, of means for elevating and moving the guide-pin onto the reproducer guide-bar and lifting the head of the reproducer-arm from the guide-bar, a guide extending obliquely to the reproducer guidebar for moving the guide-pin from the guidebar and permitting the head of the reproducer-arm to descend to the guide-bar, a pillar, and means connected to the reproducerarm cooperating with the pillar and normally drawing the head of the reproducerarm toward the obliquely-extending guide and forcibly into contact therewith.

10. In a phonograph, the combination with the case-lid, the reproducer-arm mounted above the lid, the guide-pin movable in the reproducer-arm head and the reproducer guide-bar mounted above the lid and normally guiding the reproducer-arm, of a repeating attachment comprising a pillar secured detachably to the edge of the lid and provided with a sheave, a cord connected to the reproducer-arm and extending over the sheave, a Weight attached to the cord, a stand secured detachably to the edge of the lid and provided with a spring-pressed arm in the path of the guide-pin and provided also with a supplemental guide and a guide disposed obliquely to the reproducer guidebar, and a base secured detachably to the reproducer guide bar and provided with a guide extending obliquely to the guide-bar in the path of the guide-pin.

11. In a phonograph, the combination with a reproducer-arm carrying a reproducer, a guide-bar on which the reproducer-arm is guided in operation, means for moving the reproducer-arm on the guide-bar in one direction, means for moving the reproducer-arm in an opposite direction, and a movable device mounted on the re roducer-arm, of a support secured detachab y to a suitable part of the phonograph, means mounted on the support cooperating to automatically place the m0vable device between the guide-bar and the reproducer-arm, automaticmeans cooperating to displace the movable device from between the guide-bar and the reproducer-arm, and a support for the automatic means secured detachably to a suitable part of the phonograph.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EARL LEON CRABB.

Witnesses:

WM. H. PAYNE, E. T. SrLviUs. 

